Gas prices on the rise in New Hampshire in 2013

DOVER — The price of gasoline has increased in New Hampshire since the beginning of the year, jumping nearly 20 cents during the last two weeks alone.

In New Hampshire, the average price of a gallon of regular gas rose from about $3.40 two weeks ago to about $3.59 today, according to data compiled by the website GasBuddy.com.

GasBuddy.com Senior Petroleum Analyst Patrick DeHaan said prices have been increasing not only in New Hampshire but across the country.The price of oil is rising, DeHaan said, in part because the refinery maintenance schedule is keeping some refineries offline.

Positive sentiment in the stock market can also translate into higher commodities prices, he said.

Gas prices usually increase in spring, but this year's spike is "pretty significant," and it's happening early in the year, according to DeHaan.In the last week, the national average for a price of regular gasoline rose from about $3.34 to $3.48, he said.

According to GasBuddy, New Hampshire currently ranks at number 17 on the list of states with the most expensive gas prices. Number one on the list is Hawaii, at an average of $4.11 per gallon, followed by California, at $3.91, and New York, at $3.86.

On the bottom of the website's list is Wyoming, where regular gasoline is retailing at an average of $2.89 per gallon. Also low on the list are Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado.

As of noon on Monday, gasbuddy.com was indicating that the 15 cheapest prices for regular gasoline reported by consumers around New Hampshire were: